Improved Computer Utilization Associated with Height Adjustable Workstations in a Large Office Population

The amount of time office workers spend seated poses multiple health risks and has been associated with increased musculoskeletal pain. To evaluate the potential association of discomfort and computer utilization with workstation type, we conducted a retrospective analysis of data collected at a large US company as part of their corporate wellness initiative. Workers had either an electric height-adjustable or a traditional desk for more than a year prior to the data collection phase. Data collected included participants’ discomfort levels and multiple objective measures of computer utilization as captured by the office ergonomic software package, RSI Guard. Data were collected over a year-long period and reported for each participant (n ≈ 10,145). After a year, the percentage of participants reporting no discomfort increased by 2.4%. Active computing time was reviewed for the two categories, with traditional users having 2.95 h per day while the height-adjustable desk users had 3.66 h per day (p < 0.001). This difference in active computing time equates to 43 additional active minutes per day for individuals with access to height-adjustable workstations. Findings suggest that individuals with access to height-adjustable workstations may be associated with increased computer use and negligible changes in discomfort over a one-year period.